12:15 – 13:00 A force for good: strengthening the bonds between business and the military

This session will cover the IoD’s signing of the Armed Forces Covenant. The Covenant is a vital bridge between the Armed Forces and parts of civil society, ensuring that those with a loud public voice lead the way in supporting the extraordinary contribution and sacrifice made by service personnel. For the IoD, this means using the tools at our disposal as a leading national business body to highlight the many benefits of employing those coming out of the armed forces. In keeping with our Royal Charter, it also means helping budding ex-services entrepreneurs to establish the networks, confidence, and skills they need to start and scale their own businesses.